


Midnight Chats

by FanaticFangirl2602



Series: The Princess and the Knight [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fantasy, Idiots, Pre-Relationship, Princess and the Knight AU, Princess!Marinette, So much pining is in this guys, knight!jim, there are birds, they’re oblivious, this isn’t important but it is relevant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanaticFangirl2602/pseuds/FanaticFangirl2602
Summary: Marinette winced as her items hit the floor and scattered everywhere. Augh, she’d been so close! If only she hadn’t tripped. She’d sworn she’d lifted her foot high enough to clear the rug, but apparently not. Sighing, she knelt down to start cleaning up-Her door slammed open.Marinette yelped and dove behind her bed. She pressed her back against it, heart racing. Who on Earth was in her room?“Your Highness, are you okay? Your… Your Highness?”… Ah. She should’ve expected this, honestly.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jim Lake Jr.
Series: The Princess and the Knight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1347655
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Midnight Chats

**Author's Note:**

> Behold! The first part of a 2 part collab I’m doing with Petit Fantome! I wrote something fluffy, and she made a beautiful edit for the it! The edit has already been posted on her instagram, so go check it out! Her handle is @petitfantome00 ! If I can get a link to work, I'll post it. *Thumbs up* I cried and squealed when I saw the edit, ngl. :3
> 
> Part 2 of the collab will be coming within the next couple of weeks now that my semester is wrapping up! I will be again writing for this series, so subscribe if you don’t wanna miss it!
> 
> (Also, yes, this piece is in past tense and yeah, the first piece in this series was in current tense. That’s a thing, that happened, it means absolutely nothing other than I need practice with tenses, there is no need to go look into it like it’s a Gravity Falls mystery or Steven Universe foreshadowing. I’m just tired.)
> 
> Now without further delay, enjoy the story! <3

_ Careful… carefull… _

**_CLANG!_ **

“Crap!”

Marinette winced as her items hit the floor and scattered everywhere. Augh, she’d been so close! If only she hadn’t tripped. She’d sworn she’d lifted her foot high enough to clear the rug, but apparently not. Sighing, she knelt down to start cleaning up-

Her door slammed open. 

Marinette yelped and dove behind her bed. She pressed her back against it, heart racing. Who on Earth was in her room?

“Your Highness, are you okay? Your… Your Highness?”

… Ah. She should’ve expected this, honestly.

Marinette poked her head out above the bed to see her bodyguard standing just inside the room, sword in hand, ready for a fight… and looking utterly baffled. He frowned, staring down at the mess of scattered peas and fruit slices, her platter now empty and upturned on the floor. He cautiously crept forward, still wary. “What the…?”

Marinette smiled to herself. He was still cute when he was confused.

Deciding to announce herself, she got up on her knees and poked her whole head above the bed. She waved to catch his attention. “It’s alright!”

Jim startled and whirled to face her, sword raised. Marinette yelped and ducked back down, putting both hands up in a sign of peace. “Sorry, sorry! It’s just me!”

There was a moment of silence, then a surprised huff of laughter. When Marinette looked out again, Jim had put away his sword. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and smiled down at her. In the low light of her room, she could’ve sworn he was blushing.

“Sorry, Your Highness,” he apologized.

Marinette returned the smile. “It’s alright. Maybe suddenly popping out from behind my bed and loudly announcing myself wasn’t the best way to go about that.”

He laughed again. “Still.” He turned back towards her mess. “So, is it safe to say there’s no intruder?”

“Definitely.” She sighed and glared down at her spilled food. “Unfortunately, that was all me.”

Jim cracked a grin. “Still a clutz, huh?” He teased, not unkindly.

Marinette groaned dramatically, resting her head on her hand. “Sadly, yes.” She looked back at him and smiled. “Sorry for alarming you.”

Jim shook his head and smiled back at her. “No apology needed, Your Highness.”

Marinette pouted and pointed a finger at him. “What did I say about that?”

He chuckled softly. “Right, right. No apology needed,  _ Marinette. _ ”

She nodded, pleased. “Much better. Now, uh…” She trailed off, suddenly very aware of what exactly the bed was blocking him from seeing. Her cheeks started to heat up. Clearing her throat, Marinette tried speaking again. “Could you... perhaps... grab my robe for me?” She asked, acutely aware she was only wearing a nightgown.

Jim’s eyes went wide. He quickly turned away, coughing awkwardly. “Yeah, yes, of course. Uh, one sec.”

A minute later, he walked to the side of her bed opposite of her. Eyes still averted, he laid the robe down across her mattress, then stepped away. Marinette quickly grabbed it and shrugged it on, pulling it tight and tying it shut with a neat bow. Modesty intact, she stood and brushed herself off to give her hands something to do. “We’re good,” she announced, hoping she wasn’t blushing as obviously as she thought she was. “Thanks, Jim.”

Jim glanced over and nodded, offering her a small smile. “Anytime.”

He walked over to the mess on the floor and knelt down, picking up a pea. “So,” he turned the vegetable over in his armored fingers, “what are you doing with this much food late at night? Making an… interesting fruit salad?”

Marinette sighed and leaned back against her nightstand. She crossed her arms and frowned down at the scattered food. “It’s for the birds. Well, it  _ was  _ for the birds,” she amended. At Jim’s imploring look, she gestured towards her balcony doors. “I like feeding them at night. I give them some leftovers from the day.”

Jim nodded in understanding and turned back to the food. “Well, the platter didn’t break, so I’d say this is all savagable.” He looked up at her and smiled softly. “Still want to feed some birds?”

Marinette brighted immediately. She walked over and knelt down to gather the treats for her avian friends. “Absolutely.”

A few minutes later, the knight and princess were standing out on the balcony. Some birds flew to the railing immediately, having been waiting nearby already. They hopped eagerly on the rail, watching the food platter and the humans expectantly.

Jim smiled as she tossed some fruit onto the ground in front of the birds. “I don’t remember you doing this.”

“I started after you left.” Marinette offered him a fruit slice and smiled, nodding to the avians. “They’re good company after the palace has gone to sleep.”

“Oh yeah?” Jim’s armored fingers took the fruit gently from her, like he was afraid to crush it. He held it awkwardly, glancing down at it with lightly furrowed brows.

Marinette held back a small snort. She nudged him gently, catching his attention. Picking up a piece of fruit for herself, she held it up in a silent example, then lightly threw it to the edge of the balcony. The birds pounced on the treat, chirping happily.

After a moment of hesitation, Jim copied her. His piece made another round of cheerful chirps go off.

Marinette answered Jim, with a hum and a smile. “Mmhmm. Good listeners too.”

She saw him lean back against the marble railing, his armor clanking softly. “Your stories must be riveting,” he mused with a smile.

She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” She tossed some peas. “I tell them about my day, that’s all.”

“You should tell them about the time Toby fought a squirrel and lost,” Jim grinned. “I bet they’d enjoy that story.”

Marinette snickered. “Oh my gosh, that day was crazy! What did the squirrel take from him again?”

“His Nana’s hat, I think. It tried to make it into a new nest.”

“Right!”

They both laughed as they recalled the day, mood as bright as the stars shining above. The birds looked up at them curiously, like they were following the conversation and wanted to know more about the infamous squirrel battle. They lost interest after a few moments and went back to munching on their small treats.

Marinette sighed happily, her giggling dying down. She shook her head, a grin pulling at her lips. “We need to start doing this again,” she said. She offered Jim another fruit slice once the birds finished what they’d been given. “Our late night chats. They were always so fun.”

Jim smiled, turning the fruit gently over in his fingers before tossing it. “Yeah, they were,” he agreed.

She shook her head, a fond feeling of nostalgia rolling over her. “It’s been too long. I don’t think I even remember the last time we had one.”

“Two moons before I departed.”

Marinette’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned, looking over at her childhood friend.

He was still smiling, soft and gentle. His gaze wasn’t focused on her anymore. Now, he look was directed out at the kingdom. But Marinette saw how his blue eyes were distant. She recognized the far off gleam in them. It was one that appears when a man reminisces.

Feeling her eyes on him, he turned towards her. His expression was soft, his lips quirked up. His eyes still shone with the faraway glimmer of memories. When he spoke, his voice was… quiet. Fond. “We spent the night making up new constellations and snacking on bread you stole from the kitchens.”

Now that he’d said it, that night’s events rose in her mind. They’d been laying on the grass, an old blanket beneath them. At some point, their hands had found each other’s. Her heart fluttered in her chest remembering.

“I… I can’t believe you remember that,” she admitted, still shocked.

Jim blinked as the memory faded from his mind and he came back to the present. He shrugged slightly, but he still smiled. He looked at her, truly, and his smile seemed to grow a smidge. “It was a good night,“ was all he said, like that explained it all.

Marinette‘s mouth parted. She hoped her cheeks weren’t burning as much as she thought they were.

Before she could think of what to say, the birds on her balcony squawked.

Taking the chance, she awkwardly huffed a laugh and turned back towards her avian friends, hoping the it’d help hide her blush. “Well,” she began after scattering some food on the ground, “we definitely need to find a way to pick that tradition back up.”

Jim hummed thoughtfully. “Well, as your personal guard, it is my job to stay close to you,” he mused. A quick glance over at him revealed his smiles was threatening to turn into a full on grin.

Marinette didn’t hold hers back. “That is true, my knight. No matter the time or place.”

“So I suppose if you were to wander out once the stars were in the sky, I’d have to escort you.”

“Oh, of course. And if I take my time, I guess you’ll have no choice but to stay with me until I decide to go back in.”

Jim’s grin finally broke through as he chuckled under his breath. “No, I guess not.”

Marinette tapped a finger to her chin in mock thought. “So I suppose if I were to take a late night walk tomorrow, you would have to join me. It is your duty, after all.” She glanced over at him and smirked playfully. “And if I happen to stop at the kitchens for treats, I might grab extra. For the birds, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Jim agreed, mock serious. She could see him trying to hold back more laughter. He failed moments later.

Laughing quietly, he pushed off the railing and stood tall. He smiled down at her. “I look forward to it, Princess.”

Marinette’s heart skipped.

She smiled softly. “As do I.”

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy the softness while it lasts cuz I plan on breaking hearts in round two, folks ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


End file.
